After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Two days after Zuo Siqiu entered seclusion, Xuan Mo sat in his wheelchair, letting the withered leaves from the courtyard tree settle on his black robes.

He had sensed Yan Jiaojiao approaching before she even reached the cave. Upon being granted entry, she rushed in, frantic and furious. “Venerable One, the Sect Leader of the Bixia Sect is here! He says he wants to take the Madam back to be ‘dealt with’ and pick another auspicious day for his daughter to marry you instead.”

Yan Jiaojiao kicked a falling leaf. The moment it touched her toe, it dissolved into black smoke. She stole a glance at the Demon Lord, whose eyes were closed. Even after a hundred years, his visage still had the power to captivate.

“I’ve heard the eldest daughter of the Bixia Sect is a true beauty—pure as a snow lotus,” Yan Jiaojiao added, watching for a reaction. “Some of the disciples are saying she’s a better match for you. Her father claims Madam only married you because she was greedy for the dowry. He says such a despicable person is unworthy of you.”

Her voice faltered slightly. “Venerable One… are you going to send Madam back?”

Xuan Mo opened his eyes. His gaze was deep as ink. “You don’t want me to?”

Yan Jiaojiao, her thoughts read like an open book, stomped her foot. “I just think it’s an insult to you, but Madam doesn’t seem like the type to risk her life for a dowry. Though… they say the other one is prettier.” She suddenly looked up, resisting her fear. “Venerable One, do you think that ‘Snow Lotus’ would be as active as the current Madam? You know… that kind of active?”

Seeing no response, she deflated. “Fine, I get it. Do you want to see the Bixia Sect Leader? I’ll bring him in to discuss the marriage contract.”

“I will not see him,” Xuan Mo called out as she turned to leave.

Yan Jiaojiao turned back, surprised.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want me to send her back?” he added.

Yan Jiaojiao froze, then burst into a giggle. “Hehe! I really do like our current Madam. A ‘pure and noble’ lady probably wouldn’t be as easy to get along with, nor would she leave those… ‘after-math marks’ on her neck for us to see how close you two are.”

She hurried off, leaving Xuan Mo alone. His expression shifted several times before he settled into a cold calm and closed his eyes again.

…

The Refusal

The Demon Lord’s refusal to annul the marriage sent shockwaves through the Bixia Sect.

“The Xuanyun Sect won’t cancel it! Third Senior Sister, you don’t have to marry the Demon Lord!” The disciples cheered around Bi Zhian. “It’s for the best. We can’t lose two sisters to that place.”

“Poor Little Junior Sister, though. Who knows what she’s enduring?” one whispered.

“Why worry about her?” another snapped. “She chose it for the dowry. She brought this on herself.”

Bi Zhian looked at them gratefully, tears in her eyes. “I know you’re happy for me, but I can’t stop thinking about her. Even with the dowry, how can that make up for what she’s suffering? I just don’t understand… why won’t the Demon Lord let her go?”

Deep in her eyes, a flicker of genuine confusion remained.

…

The Alchemist’s Realization

Zuo Siqiu was oblivious to the drama. She was busy.

During her seclusion, she spent several days fully integrating the original host’s memories. When she finally opened her eyes, a single tear wet her cheek. She realized the original girl’s life was a mirror of her own—orphaned young, struggling for scraps in a cold world, working day and night just to survive.

“Now, you’ve escaped that oppressive place too,” Zuo Siqiu whispered to the empty air. “The Demon Sect isn’t so bad, aside from the Sect Leader. Xuan Mo acts like he wants to kill me and steals my pills, but I don’t feel true malice from him… right? Or maybe I’m just making excuses for a jerk.”

She began to refine. Her first batch was thirty peach-flavored “sugar beads” (Level 1 Qi-recovery pills) for Xuan Mo.

A day later, she stared at her palm. The pills were a soft pink, more fragrant than anything the original host had ever made, and each was wrapped in a visible wisp of spiritual energy. Most importantly: zero failures.

In the novel, the “genius” female lead had a success rate of 70-80%. The male lead hit 80-90%.

Is it the high-quality spirit vein here? Or am I a natural?

She didn’t dwell on it. She refined 400 pills for Xuan Mo—peach, hawthorn, lemon, and mint—without a single failed attempt. Then, she spent the next week refining for herself.

By the seventh day, she was broke.

Her materials and dowry resources were gone. She felt like she was playing a farming sim where she was constantly out of land, money, and wood. She spent three more days planting seeds in her pocket dimension to replenish her stocks.

…

The Confrontation

On the forty-ninth day, Zuo Siqiu emerged from seclusion feeling refreshed—until she saw Yan Jiaojiao.

The girl looked murderous. “Madam! You have no idea! While you were away, the Bixia Sect Leader kept pestering the Venerable One to annul the marriage. Today, he even threatened to take you back and execute you under sect laws!”

Zuo Siqiu’s face went cold. “He wants to execute me? Why?”

“They say you’re a greedy thief who stole the wedding for the dowry.”

“I was drugged and put on that sedan! I woke up at the ceremony!”

“I believe you!” Yan Jiaojiao growled, pulling her toward the Demon Lord’s room.

“What about the Venerable One?” Zuo Siqiu asked. “Does he want to cancel?”

“He said no. He said whoever married him is the Madam. He doesn’t care about the Bixia Sect’s drama; he only recognizes the one who completed the ceremony.”

Zuo Siqiu blinked, stunned.

“Exactly!” Yan Jiaojiao added. “The rice is cooked! For all we know, you’re already carrying his heir. We’re not letting you go! The disciples are ready to fight to the death with the Bixia Sect.”

Zuo Siqiu’s heart sank. The Bixia Sect was the top alchemy sect with massive political backing. Even if the Demon Sect was stronger individually, the Bixia Sect had the “Protagonist Halo.”

She couldn’t let the Xuanyun Sect be destroyed for her sake.